After the Curtains Close Jonathan Bree

• 1 Happy Daze 03:36
• 2 Heavenly Vision 03:11
• 3 Waiting on the Moment 03:05
• 4 Kiss My Lips 03:19
• 5 Until We're Done 04:12
• 6 In the Sunshine 03:48
• 7 Meadows in Bloom 02:36
• 8 Cover Your Eyes 03:16
• 9 Children 03:25
• 10 69 02:08
• 11 No Reminders 04:36
• 12 After the Curtains Close 03:23
• Total Runtime 40:35

Info for After the Curtains Close

Alleine das Zusammenspiel der sonor-unverkennbaren Bariton-Stimmfarbe von Bree und den immer wieder prominent platziert für Ornamente sorgenden Streichern mit gelegentlichem Kitsch-Appeal ist das Eintrittsgeld des 4ten Albums wert. Der Orchester-Pop des Australiers, der mit Band mit Gaze-Masken auftritt, bewegt sich in einem Terrain, das vom French Pop der 60er bis zu Verwandtschaft zu Get Well Soon reicht. Knarzig perlt der Bass, wundervoll shuffeln die Drums und eine Vielzahl von Orchesterinstrumenten sorgen für ausgesprochen cineastischen Uplift. Nicht nur dank gelegentlicher weiblichen Gegenstimmenparts von Princess Chelsea und Britta Phillips zum croonenden Bree weist das Album eine größere Variationsbreite auf. Herrliches, barockes Breitwand-Orchester-Pop-Album zum Abheben. (Lil Chief)

Jonathan Bree

Jonathan Bree
is a musician from New Zealand, known for melodic compositions where he croons about modern life and love, over string parts that slide precariously between notes and dulcitone chimes. The end result is a musical palette one could describe as dark Disney. These elements are present in his breakthrough viral hit, ‘You’re So Cool’. ​

His live shows have also gained him a cult following across the world. Masked band members in pioneering clothing are set against a backdrop of cinematic projections created specifically for each song. Unusual for an indie act, he also has two dancers who perform other-worldly choreographed routines along with the music. ​

After ‘You’re So Cool’ went viral, many likely assumed Jonathan Bree was a new artist. He began writing his own songs at age 9 and performed live as a drummer in his cousin’s band until age 13. This was interrupted after being sent to live in Australia with his father, who was an aspiring cult leader. Bree subsequently left home and independently navigated his teenage years. ​

When Bree returned to New Zealand, he formed The Brunettes, who in their active years toured the world and released music through Sub Pop Records and Bree’s own label, Lil Chief Records. The frustrations of trying to take this traditional route to success saw him take a long break from releasing his own music. In the interim, he happened to produce the song ‘The Cigarette Duet’ for Princess Chelsea (in 2011) and directed it's viral video. ​

When he finally returned to releasing his own music it was as a solo artist with the album, The Primrose Path (2013). His only promotion for it was uploading to YouTube an album length video of himself watching shows on his laptop in bed accompanied by his girlfriend and cat. ​

Bree’s second album A Little Night Music (2015) saw him embrace a more cinematic approach, while retaining strong melodies and hooks. Nonetheless, it is his least pop-focussed album to date and leans more heavily on classical soundscapes - Nick Cave meets the Nutcracker Suite. It was during this album campaign that Bree first introduced the concept of his period piece masked band. The debut single/video ‘Weird Hardcore’ (2014) featured his musicians appearing as if within a skewed timeline, think Amadeus meets The Old Grey Whistle Test. It's rumoured that around this time Jonathan acquired a time machine… ​

In the lead-up to his third album Sleepwalking, he released ‘You’re So Cool’ which was named Time Out New York’s Video of the Year. Sleepwalking (2018) has a heavy orchestrated element featuring real strings, horns, celeste and soprano vocals. His arrangements draw distinct influence from orchestral pop of a bygone era (think Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra), but many of the songs dip in and out of the avant-garde in a way that is also distinctly modern. ​

Jonathan Bree’s fourth album ‘After The Curtains Close’ due for release July 17 2020 sees the producer's trademark orchestral pop take a few unexpected turns both into the experimental and also into kitschy territory populated by some of his french heroes of the 1960s. The end result is an album that retains Bree’s musical DNA while being fun and varied. ​

What could be described as Bree’s ‘sleazy’ album could also be described as Bree’s break-up album. Dealing with the break-down of a major relationship Bree opens up to reveal a year of loneliness and mental trauma while also channelling positive feelings by embracing sex and sleaze in his music, subject material more traditionally reserved for the single man. Bree strikes a great balance here between darkness and silliness here in that he does this without appearing snide, which is a line some artists can seem all too happy to cross.

This album contains no booklet.